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Horne KS, Ceslis A, Mosley P, Adam R, Robinson GA. The Role of Apathy in Spontaneous Verbal and Nonverbal Behaviors: A Transdiagnostic Pilot Study in Neurodegeneration. Cogn Behav Neurol 2023; 36:178-193. [PMID: 37378480 DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Apathy, characterized by a quantifiable reduction in motivation or goal-directed behavior, is a multidimensional syndrome that has been observed across many neurodegenerative diseases. OBJECTIVE To develop a novel task measuring spontaneous action initiation (ie, a nonverbal equivalent to spontaneous speech tasks) and to investigate the association between apathy and executive functions such as the voluntary initiation of speech and actions and energization (ie, ability to initiate and sustain a response). METHOD We compared the energization and executive functioning performance of 10 individuals with neurodegenerative disease and clinically significant apathy with that of age-matched healthy controls (HC). We also investigated the association between self-reported scores on the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) and performance on energization tasks. RESULTS The individuals with apathy made significantly fewer task-related actions than the HC on the novel spontaneous action task, and their scores on the AES were negatively correlated with spontaneous task-related actions, providing preliminary evidence for the task's construct validity. In addition, the individuals with apathy performed more poorly than the HC on all of the energization tasks, regardless of task type or stimulus modality, suggesting difficulty in sustaining voluntary responding over time. Most of the tasks also correlated negatively with the AES score. However, the individuals with apathy also performed more poorly on some of the executive function tasks, particularly those involving self-monitoring. CONCLUSION Our work presents a novel experimental task for measuring spontaneous action initiation-a key symptom of apathy-and suggests a possible contribution of apathy to neuropsychological deficits such as poor energization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina S Horne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
| | - Amelia Ceslis
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
| | - Philip Mosley
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
- Clinical Brain Networks Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Queensland, Australia
- Biomedical Informatics Group, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robert Adam
- University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Queensland, Australia
| | - Gail A Robinson
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
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Trakoshis S, Ioannou M, Fanti K. The Factorial Structure of the Tower Test From the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Study. Assessment 2020; 29:317-331. [PMID: 32964750 DOI: 10.1177/1073191120960812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Tower of London (TOL) is a well-known, widely used task that captures executive function abilities. We examined the factorial structure and discriminant validity of three measures extracted from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) version of the TOL, namely the D-KEFS Tower Test, in 270 individuals from a publicly available release of the Enhanced Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland sample. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed a multidimensional three-factor solution of the measures extracted from the D-KEFS Tower Test; first-move-time, excess moves, and rule violations. This model was better than the unidimensional model, the two-factor model, the bifactor model and the model that included the total achievement scores. These results support the discriminant validity of the three latent factors, over their distinct relations to the total achievement score. The best fitting model was gender-invariant and age-variant. Overall, the multidimensionality of the measures extracted from the D-KEFS Tower Test reflects the need to use multiple metrics from this version of TOL to capture executive functions instead of a single score.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stavros Trakoshis
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.,Laboratory of Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center of Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, University of Trento, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy
| | - Myria Ioannou
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Kostas Fanti
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
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Marzuki AA, Pereira de Souza AMFL, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW. Are candidate neurocognitive endophenotypes of OCD present in paediatric patients? A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 108:617-645. [PMID: 31821834 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
To-date it has been difficult to ascertain the exact cognitive profile of childhood OCD as studies report variable results. Adult OCD research lately utilises the endophenotype approach; studying cognitive traits that are present in both patients and their unaffected first-degree relatives, and are thought to lie closer to the genotype than the full-blown disorder. By observing whether candidate endopenotypes of adult OCD are present in child patients, we can determine whether the two subtypes show cognitive overlap. We conducted a systematic review of the paediatric OCD literature focussing on proposed neurocognitive endophenotypes of OCD: cognitive flexibility, response inhibition, memory, planning, decision-making, action monitoring, and reversal learning. We found that paediatric patients present robust increases in brain error related negativity associated with abnormal action monitoring, impaired decision-making under uncertainty, planning, and visual working memory, but there is less evidence for deficits in other cognitive domains. This implies that children with OCD show some cognitive similarities with adult patients, but other dysfunctions may only manifest later in the disorder trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleya A Marzuki
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EL, Cambridge, UK; Department of Psychology, Downing Site, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EB, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Ana Maria Frota Lisboa Pereira de Souza
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EL, Cambridge, UK; Department of Psychology, Downing Site, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EB, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- Herchel Smith Building, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EL, Cambridge, UK; Department of Psychology, Downing Site, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EB, Cambridge, UK.
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Prime H, Wade M, Gonzalez A. The link between maternal and child verbal abilities: An indirect effect through maternal responsiveness. Dev Sci 2019; 23:e12907. [PMID: 31571333 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Language abilities in early childhood show stability over time and play an important role in the development of other cognitive processes. Identifying modifiable environmental risk factors is important to informing prevention and early intervention efforts. Maternal verbal ability has been previously linked to child verbal ability. The current study examined whether maternal and child verbal abilities were linked indirectly through early childhood maternal responsiveness. Data come from a longitudinal birth cohort study. Participants included 133 mothers and their children recruited from maternity wards shortly after birth. Maternal verbal ability was measured using the Vocabulary subtest from the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (child age 8 months). Child verbal ability was assessed using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (36 months). A latent maternal responsiveness variable was estimated using three developmentally sensitive indicators; one during infancy (child age 8 months) and two when children were 36 months. Results of a structural equation model indicated a significant indirect effect from maternal verbal abilities to child verbal abilities through maternal responsiveness. This indirect path was significant even after inclusion of another indirect path from maternal executive functioning to child verbal ability through maternal responsiveness (which was not significant). Future studies will benefit from experimental, genetically sensitive and/or cross-lagged designs to allow for conclusions related to directionality and causality. This body of research has implications for the study of the intergenerational transmission of verbal abilities and associated skills, behaviours and adaptive outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Prime
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Mark Wade
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andrea Gonzalez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Pereira A, Rosário P, Lopes S, Moreira T, Magalhães P, Núñez JC, Vallejo G, Sampaio A. Promoting School Engagement in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Narrative Based Program. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:E3634. [PMID: 31569711 PMCID: PMC6801813 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16193634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This study assessed the efficacy of an educational program focused on the promotion of school engagement in children with Cerebral Palsy. A 9 weeks, narrative-based intervention program, with a pre-post neuropsychological and self-report evaluation, was developed with a dual focus: a self-regulation theoretical model and executive function stimulation. Fifteen children with Cerebral Palsy participated in the study. Results showed a significant main effect of time (F(2.82) = 6.04, p = 0.0066, partial η2 = 0.30; F(2.82) = 9.91, p = 0.0006, partial η2 = 0.41; F(2.82) = 26.90, p < 0.0001, partial η2 = 0.66) in the three dimensions of school engagement. Findings indicate that the program to train self-regulated competences and executive function skills was efficacious in promoting school engagement in children with Cerebral Palsy. Educational implications were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armanda Pereira
- Department of Applied Psychology, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4700-032 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Pedro Rosário
- Department of Applied Psychology, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4700-032 Braga, Portugal
| | - Sílvia Lopes
- Department of Applied Psychology, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4700-032 Braga, Portugal
| | - Tânia Moreira
- Department of Applied Psychology, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4700-032 Braga, Portugal
| | - Paula Magalhães
- Department of Applied Psychology, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4700-032 Braga, Portugal
| | - José Carlos Núñez
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, 33003 Asturias, Spain
- Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Universidad Politécnica y Artística de Paraguay, Mayor Sebastián Bullo s/n, Asunción 1628, Paraguay
| | - Guillermo Vallejo
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, 33003 Asturias, Spain
| | - Adriana Sampaio
- Neuropsychophysiology Lab, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4700-032 Braga, Portugal
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Using the Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System Tower Test to Examine ADHD Sensitivity in Children: Expanding Analysis Beyond the Summary Score. JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC NEUROPSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40817-019-00068-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Pila-Nemutandani RG, Meyer A. Behaviour planning and problem solving deficiencies in children with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from the Balobedu culture, Limpopo province, South Africa. J Child Adolesc Ment Health 2016; 28:109-21. [DOI: 10.2989/17280583.2016.1200582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Krishnan M, Smith N, Donders J. Use of the Tower of London – Drexel University, Second Edition (TOLDX) in Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury. Clin Neuropsychol 2012; 26:951-64. [DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2012.708166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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